Real Madrid Try to End Their Atletico Jinx Again

“We are not obsessed with Atletico,” said Carlo Ancelotti in his pre-match press conference ahead of the latest Madrid derby, as per UEFA.com’s Marcos Prieto, this time in the Champions League quarter-finals. There is rarely any reason not to see the coach as man of his word, but Real Madrid would not be human if the old enemy didn’t make them twitch just a little bit in light of recent history.

It is an extraordinary situation for El Real to be in, given that they beat Atleti in last season’s final, swiping the trophy away from their neighbours with Sergio Ramos’ last-ditch equaliser before pummelling their deflated opponents in extra time.

Yet Atleti’s regenerative powers under Diego Simeone know no bounds. That they have come back from such a heartbreaking defeat, especially after the loss of a number of key players, to challenge again is impressive. That the Calderon side are unbeaten in six meetings with their local rivals across Supercopa, Copa del Rey and La Liga since is absolutely astounding.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press/Associated Press

Less than two years ago, Atleti could barely lay a glove on El Real. It took the sort of heroic performance that will be talked about for generations to come to break Los Rojiblancos’ 14-year derby drought in May 2013’s Copa del Rey final; from the team as a whole but especially from goalscorers Diego Costa and Miranda, and the outstanding Thibaut Courtois, to prise the trophy in a showpiece in which Atleti were often under siege.

It was a pivotal moment, both for the growth of Simeone’s side and the perceptions that Madrid’s two biggest teams have of one another in direct confrontations. Overnight, Atleti turned from a laughing stock into the itch that Los Merengues can’t stop scratching.

Despite comprehensively losing both legs of a Copa semi-final to them last season, Simeone’s team won at the Bernabeu again in 2013-14, going towards a total of four points in the two Liga derbies which went a huge way to deciding the eventual destination of the title.

Yet the patter from the red and white half of town has barely changed. Simeone’s own pre-match comments—again, as per UEFA.com’s report—that Ancelotti’s team “have more individual talent than us in several positions” may well be true, but it is only half the story.

Firstly, it is clear that that Simeone’s team has always championed the whole making up more than the sum of its parts. Midfielders Tiago and Gabi, for example, have been pivotal players for Atleti in this season and last, but would they start in many other elite sides? Hardly.

Secondly, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the Argentinian coach is baiting the Bernabeu to at least some extent. "You have so much more talent than us, but still, you just can’t beat us." Despite Ancelotti’s insistence, it must play on the minds of his players.

The Italian’s approach is right; play the game, rather than the headline. Real Madrid should feel good, with pretty much their best XI set to take the field at the Calderon, with James Rodriguez and Luka Modric having recently returned. After topping up his Liga goals tally to 38 in the weekend win over Elche, we can consign the notion of a Cristiano Ronaldo dry spell to the history books.

Yet Atletico can say the same. Mario Mandzukic is back, Antoine Griezmann beat his best-ever La Liga goals total with a brace at Malaga this weekend (he now has 18) and they have Fernando Torres ready from the bench in a tie that he will relish more than most.

Simeone’s message must be similar to Ancelotti’s: keep it simple. Atleti were undone by Barcelona in their Copa del Rey exit at the Calderon by trying to be too expansive. They are still their best when grinding results out, just as they did twice against Juventus in the group stages—and against Bayer Leverkusen in a tense second leg in the last 16.

Real Madrid should finally put this hoodoo to bed, but what should happen and what does happen in games involving Atletico are not the same things. It promises to an epic, again.